Phoenix Suns Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Iguodala, Gay, Bell, Rivers, Pre-Draft Workouts

June 3rd, 2017 at 9:24pm CST by marksuleymanov

While Andre Iguodala is no longer the All-Star caliber athlete capable of memorable dunks, he is a vital cog on both sides of the ball for the championship winning Warriors, Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.

Iguodala, 33, has not averaged double-digits in points since joining Golden State in 2013 but his play in the 2015 NBA Finals, the first five games of last year’s series, and the first game of this year’s showdown displayed his value. As Letourneau mentions, had the Cavaliers not completed an improbable comeback last year, Iguodala may have been the NBA Finals Most Valuable Award recipient.

After knee and back troubles in recent years, Iguodala is now a key part of the Golden State bench. Following his seven points, three rebounds and two steals in 24 minutes on Thursday, the Warriors will look for similar contributions the rest of the series.“It’s only going to get harder from here,” Iguodala said. “We just have to stay locked in.”

Here are additional notes from the Pacific division:

The Lakers are set to hold a pre-draft workout for several collegiate players this Monday, according to the team. The list of players scheduled for the workout includes Richmond forward T.J. Cline, Oklahoma State point guard Jawun Evans, Villanova guard Josh Hart, California’s Roger Moute a Bidias, Iowa State point guard Monte Morris, and Syracuse forward Tyler Roberson.
Former Clippers teammates Glen Davis and Austin Rivers engaged in a mini-feud this week, starting with Rivers’ comments on FS1’s Undisputed that Davis was out of shape, constantly late, and struggled to remember players during his brief L.A. tenure (via NBC Sports). Davis subsequently shot back with an expletive-laden Instagram post, claiming that Rivers walked around with a cocky disposition and that he owes his career to his father.
Coming off Achilles surgery, forward Rudy Gay was seen at Roc Nation Pro Day earlier this week and reportedly looked in good shape, per Jonathan Givony of Draft Express (via Twitter). Gay, 30, played in 30 regular season games with the Kings before suffering the injury and is expected to exercise his opt-out and hit free agency this offseason.
Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes that Oregon’s Jordan Bell is an intruiging target for the Kings in the NBA Draft. Known for his toughness and defensive prowess, Bell could add a strong dimension to a Kings team in transition following the trade deadline trade sending DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans.
Doug Haller of The Arizona Republic writes that SMU forward Semi Ojeleye is a good target for the Suns in the second round draft. A built body and athleticism give Ojelye a good shot to mold into a productive NBA player despite limited college experience.

Suns, Wolves, Hawks Expected To Have Interest In Andre Iguodala

June 1st, 2017 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

While Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant will receive most of the attention among the Warriors free-agents-to-be, Andre Iguodala is also on track to reach the open market this summer, and figures to draw interest around the NBA. League sources tell Ramona Shelburne and Chris Haynes of ESPN that the Suns, Timberwolves, and Hawks are expected to be among the teams with an eye on Iguodala this offseason.

Iguodala has seen his scoring numbers dip since joining the Warriors in 2013, but has been a crucial piece of the team’s rotation as a solid defender and passed with the ability to make the occasional three-point shot. In 2016/17, the veteran swingman came off the bench in 76 games, averaging 7.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.4 APG, and a .528/.362/.706 shooting line. He’s a finalist for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award.

Iguodala’s skill-set and veteran leadership would be valuable to a number of teams, and it will be tricky for the Warriors to keep him around is Durant opts out and wants to sign a full maximum salary contract. However, Durant is said to be open to the idea of accepting less than the max, which would allow Golden State to hang onto Iguodala’s Bird rights and go over the cap to re-sign him.

Given the success Iguodala and the Warriors have enjoyed together in recent years, I’d expect Golden State to be the strong frontrunner to sign him to a new deal in July. If the Dubs hesitate at all though, there should be no shortage of rival suitors ready to swoop in with strong offers.

Pacific Notes: J. Jackson, Isaac, Tatum, Thompson

May 30th, 2017 at 9:47pm CST by Joshua Fischman

The Suns potentially have a difficult decision to make when they find themselves on the clock with the fourth overall pick, writes Doug Haller of AZCentral Sports. Three talented freshman small forwards could be available: Josh Jackson, Jonathan Isaac, and Jayson Tatum. Defense and three-point shooting are likely the Suns’ two most glaring weaknesses, and one of these athletes could certainly help.

Haller writes that Jackson’s real impact could come defensively. The scribe adds that, while Tatum is nowhere near the defender that Jackson is, the Duke freshman may be the most polished scorer in the draft. As for Isaac, he can play both forward positions, with many believing that he will also be able to man the center position when his body fills out. Furthermore, the departing Seminole would contribute defensive versatility, having defended all over the floor for Florida State.

Here are some more pertinent notes from the Pacific division:

On Tuesday, the Suns were set to host two pre-draft workouts, per the club’s official Twitter page. The announced participants were Zak Irvin, Wesley Iwundu, Luke Kornet, Kennedy Meeks, Semi Ojeleye, Devin Robinson, and Jarrett Allen.
The Kings will hold two pre-draft workouts on Wednesday, reports Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. The first group is full of big names: Justin Jackson, Jordan Bell, Frank Mason, Kyle Kuzma, London Perrantes, and Devin Robinson. Jones points out that, prior to last year’s draft, the Kings convinced just once first-round pick to visit the team, even though Sacramento held the eighth overall selection. To find out which players are part of the second group that is working out for the Kings on Wednesday, check out Jones’ full story.
Ivan Rabb does not regret returning for his sophomore season at Cal despite falling from a likely lottery pick in the last draft to an expected low first-round selection this time around, reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. On the contrary, Rabb believes that staying in school an additional season will help him at the next level. Rabb was one of six players to work out for the Lakers on Tuesday. The others were Jaron Blossomgame, Sterling Brown, Tyler Dorsey, Cameron Oliver, and Xavier Rathan-Mayes.
Klay Thompson‘s historic Game 6 against the Thunder in the 2016 Western Conference Finals had a transformative effect on basketball history, chronicles Tim Kawakami of The San Jose Mercury News. Although Thompson’s performance that night did not lead to a second-straight Warriors championship, without it, Kevin Durant very well may not have joined Golden State during the ensuing offseason.

Lonzo Ball Lakers Workout Set

May 30th, 2017 at 8:07pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Lonzo Ball will have an individual workout and meeting with the Lakers on June 7th, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical. Confirming the news is Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times (link via Twitter), adding that Ball does not have any other team workouts planned yet, but he is considering working out for the 76ers and Suns.

The workout was originally planned for June 9th before being moved to the 7th due to a scheduling conflict for Magic Johnson, per Ganguli (link via Twitter). The Lakers own the second pick in the upcoming draft, while the 76ers are set to pick third, followed by the Suns at four.

Suns Work Out Six Prospects On Monday

May 29th, 2017 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns are kicking off their pre-draft workouts today by taking a look at a handful of intriguing prospects, including Kyle Kuzma (Utah), Johnathan Motley (Baylor), Kobi Simmons (Arizona), and Josh Hart (Villanova). Troy Caupain (Cincinnati) and Tidjan Keita (France) round out the team’s Monday workout group (Twitter link).

Draft Notes: Wilson, Fox, Suns, Mitchell

May 27th, 2017 at 9:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Jazz are denying a report that they offered a guarantee to take Michigan’s D.J. Wilson in the first round, according to Aaron Falk and Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. That story was passed on by Rod Beard of The Detroit News, who said the team promised to select Wilson with either its 24th or 30th pick in the June 22nd draft. Walt Perrin, Utah’s vice president of player personnel, said the Jazz haven’t offered a definite guarantee to any player in his 16 years with the organization. “It does put you at somewhat of a disadvantage because if someone comes to you with a great trade, you’ve made your commitment to that player, so you can’t trade,” he said. … “We try to keep our flexibility.”

There’s more news as draft day approaches:

Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox will hold workouts for the Lakers, who hold the second pick, and the Sixers, who have No. 3, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. The workout in L.A. is expected to happen between June 11th and 17th.
The Suns will begin draft workouts Monday, writes Doug Haller of The Arizona Republic. A session is also set for Tuesday, with Jarrett Allen of Texas and Luke Kornet of Vanderbilt expected to attend. Kornet, a 7-foot senior who is projected to be taken in the second round, grew up near Phoenix and would love to join the organization. “The Suns were my favorite team growing up, like when Steve Nash was there,” he said. “Right now I know they’re super young with [Devin] Booker and [Marquese] Chriss and [Dragan] Bender. They’re growing and finding their identity, but they have some great pieces.” Phoenix owns the fourth pick, along with second rounders at 32 and 54, and is expected to bring in most of the top-billed players.
Louisville guard Donovan Mitchell is steadily moving up NBA draft boards, relays Chris Reichert of The Step Back. Reichert compares Mitchell to Celtics guard Avery Bradley and says he has decent offensive skills to go with his celebrated defense.

Pacific Notes: Bogdanovic, Cousins, Jackson

May 25th, 2017 at 9:09pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Bogdan Bogdanovic would have been a top-15 pick in this year’s draft had he entered it this season, sources within the league tell Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee. Bogdanovic entered the 2014 draft and was selected by Phoenix. The Kings acquired his rights in a 2016 draft night trade.

Bogdanovic will be free to negotiate with Sacramento without the rookie scale restrictions come July since it has been three years since he was drafted. Voisin adds that he is expected to garner an annual salary between $5MM and $10MM.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

In the same piece, Voisin adds the organization has a different vibe this offseason—the first since the Kings traded away DeMarcus Cousins. The team’s younger players are actually staying in Sacramento and working out at the facility, something that hasn’t happened in quite some time.
Doug Haller of The Arizona Republic wonders if the Suns will pass on Josh Jackson because of his off-court issues. Jackson’s two-way game makes him a great fit for the team and he could easily to be available at No. 4.
Haller (separate piece) takes a look at several prospects whom could be fits for the Suns in the second round. In addition to owning the No. 4 overall pick, Phoenix has the No. 32 and No. 54 selections.

Raptors To Receive Second Rounder For Weltman

May 25th, 2017 at 5:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

5:05 PM: The deal includes a provision that restricts the Raptors and Magic from trading with one another through the end of the 2017/18 season, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (Twitter feed). This type of provision is common for teams trading executive/coaches, as it the league doesn’t want teams to make side deals. The last trade involved pick compensation for an executive was Boston’s Doc Rivers deal. The Clippers and Celtics were forbidden to trade with one another for the entire 2013/14 campaign once the trade was completed.

1:26 PM: The Raptors will receive a 2018 second-round pick from the Magic as compensation for Orlando’s decision to hire Jeff Weltman as President of Basketball Operations, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical tweets. The pick will be the lesser of two that the Magic currently control, Wojnarowski adds.

Orlando possesses an extra second-rounder as a result of a 2012 trade with the Lakers. The Raptors had traded away their second-round pick for next season to the Suns as part of the P.J. Tucker deal this February, so this agreement puts them back in the second-round mix.

Weltman reached a five-year agreement with the Magic on Monday. He had been Toronto’s GM, working under Raptors President Masai Ujiri.

Hoops Links Vol. 6: Coleman Flashbacks, Biedrins Flashbacks, More

May 25th, 2017 at 10:00am CST by Austin Kent

Welcome back to Hoops Links. Here we round up some of our favorite blog content that we come across over the course of the week. As always, we’d like to encourage writers to send us their best stuff for possible inclusion in future editions. Remember, what we’re looking for is unique, entertaining material that showcases why the internet is so gosh darn fun.

Send your best pieces to HoopsRumorsTips@Sports.ws or simply yell at me on Twitter (@AustinKent). Similarly, you can flag down any Hoops Rumors staffer at a grocery store and immediately hit them up with a choreographed dance routine explaining why your Jared Dudley hot take deserves top recognition in next week’s link dump.

Note: We typically publish Hoops Links on Thursday, but next week’s edition will be published on Friday (June 2). This will be a one-time change so that we can all observe Smush Parker‘s birthday privately with our families. We’ll slide back to Thursday for Hoops Links Vol. 7 on June 8.

The skill set that Ben Simmons has shown and the college numbers he produced during his one year at LSU are on par with some of the greatest of our generation. Much of his success, however, will come down to circumstance. Can the Sixers ensure that Simmons is in a situation to live up to his potential? Or, as Kwame Fisher-Jones of the 76er Files cautions, is he destined to underachieve like similarly versatile former Sixers forward Derrick Coleman?

Rating: 8 out of 10 NBA Jam Legends
Author: Kwame Fisher-Jones – @MrJonesNBA
Link: Ben Simmons’ potential

When LeBron James clanged a wide open dunk off the back of the rim in Game 4 of the Cavaliers–Celtics series, it robbed Kevin Love of a potential Assist of the Year. Not surprisingly, Carter Rodriguez of Fear the Sword has put the wheels in motion to file a formal petition to credit the big man with a much deserved assist anyway. What even is an assist when you think about it, man?

Rating: 9 out of 10 They Have A Points…
Author: Carter Rodriguez – @Carter_Shade
Link: Kevin Love’s outlet assist

In a world where nearly everything that takes place on a basketball court is trackable, the one thing that experts can’t seem to quantify is the impact team chemistry has on success. Brian Freeman of Blazer’s Edge explored the gaps in our understanding of team chemistry and suggests what might play a role in successful organizations capitalizing on it.

Rating: 8 out of 10 Intangibles
Author: Brian Freeman – @BrianFreeman_NBA
Link: Team chemistry in the NBA

The Warriors are the team NBA fans love to hate. Eric He of Blue Man Hoop, however, thinks that everybody needs to slow down, quit hating and actually appreciate the franchise. Given Golden State’s role in revolutionizing the league, he does have a point. Can’t we just be happy for the organization less than five years removed from giving Andris Biedrins a standing ovation for hitting a pair of free throws?

Rating: 8 out of 10 Monta Ellis Scooters
Author: Eric He – @EricHeSports
Link: Appreciating the Golden State Warriors

If Chris Bosh is able to fully part ways from the Heat and work his way back onto a basketball court, the Clippers should take a look at him as a possible reserve big man, Blake Harris of Clipperholics writes. Though his health will always be the most important consideration, Bosh could very well be a major steal for whichever club takes a chance on him.

Rating: 7 out of 10 Mo Speights Replacements
Author: Blake Harris – @BlakeHHarris
Link: Chris Bosh and the Clippers

There’s no denying that Kemba Walker has stepped up as the greatest New Generation Hornets player, but is he wasting his prime toiling away in mediocrity? For Swarm and Sting, Elijah Edwards discusses the idea of letting the point guard pursue success elsewhere if the franchise isn’t able to surround him with the help he needs to compete.

Rating: 7 out of 10 Miles Plumlee Contracts
Author: Elijah Edwards
Link: Trading Kemba Walker

When Gordon Hayward hits free agency this summer, he’ll do so as perhaps the most coveted, reasonably attainable option on the market. Evan Dyal of Sir Charles in Charge took a good long look at the five most likely destinations for Hayward, delving beyond simply the Celtics and Jazz, two clubs regarded as frontrunners for his services.

Rating: 8 out of 10 Professional StarCraft Circuits
Author: Evan Dyal – @EvanDyal
Link: Gordon Hayward free agency

After his first year at the helm, Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder showed that he’s a worthy starter with plenty of room to grow. Thomas Jenkins of Peachtree Hoops recently broke down what might be in store for the 23-year-old, suggesting that so long as Schroder continues to develop, the club’s future looks bright.

Rating: 8 out of 10 Blonde Patches
Author: Thomas Jenkins – @TJenkins122
Link: Dennis Schroder potential

Admit it, you knew that it wouldn’t be long before the thorough analysis would come regarding whether or not the Celtics truly need Isaiah Thomas. For Nylon Calculus, Ian Levy broke down the situation, including Boston’s improbable Game 3 victory and the squad’s all-around improvement on the defensive end of the ball when Thomas is sidelined. The C’s don’t need to oust Thomas any time soon but they could afford to spare him if the right opportunity arose.

Rating: 9 out of 10 Scatter Plots
Author: Ian Levy – @HickoryHigh
Link: The Celtics without Isaiah Thomas

Don’t expect the fourth pick in the NBA Draft to turn things around for the Suns, Valley of the Suns contributor Robert Neal writes. So how does the franchise, then, figure out where to go after a tanked season gone awry? Neal explores ways the Suns can tangibly improve their roster without relying on a rookie.

Rating: 7 out of 10 #FreeChriss Campaigns
Author: Robert Neal – @RobertN4110
Link: Phoenix Suns offseason

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Phoenix Suns

May 19th, 2017 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns added a pair of cornerstone frontcourt pieces in the 2016 draft when they selected Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss in the top eight, then saw backcourt players like Devin Booker and Tyler Ulis take promising steps forward during the season. However, Phoenix’s 2016/17 record (24-58) was virtually the same as 2015/16’s mark (23-59), and Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, and Tyson Chandler weren’t thrilled to be benched after the trade deadline. Going forward, the Suns will have decisions to make on how to balance their youth movement with playing time for their veterans.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Suns financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:

Guaranteed Salary

Eric Bledsoe ($14,500,000)
Brandon Knight ($13,618,750)
Tyson Chandler ($13,000,000)
Jared Dudley ($10,000,000)
Dragan Bender ($4,468,800)
T.J. Warren ($3,152,931)
Marquese Chriss ($3,073,800)
Devin Booker ($2,319,360)
Tyler Ulis ($1,312,611)
Leandro Barbosa ($500,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below.¹
Total: $65,946,252

Player Options

None

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Leandro Barbosa ($3,500,000) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.¹
Elijah Millsap ($1,524,305)
Derrick Jones ($1,312,611)
Total: $6,336,916

Restricted Free Agents

Alex Len ($4,187,598 qualifying offer / $12,059,053 cap hold)
Alan Williams ($1,671,382 qualifying offer / $1,671,382 cap hold)
Total: $13,730,435

Cap Holds

No. 4 overall pick ($5,090,040)
Ronnie Price ($1,471,382)
Total: $6,561,422

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $28,332,478

The Suns have nine players on fully guaranteed contracts. If they were to waive their non-guaranteed players and renounce all their free agents, they’d also have to account for cap holds for their first-round pick and two empty roster spots, creating a total team salary of $72,667,522. That would be enough room to make a play for a maximum-salary restricted free agent, but not enough to fit a max contract for a veteran with seven or more years of NBA experience.

Footnotes:

Barbosa’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 3

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post.